Tire cover



G. A. LYON www TIRE COVER Filed Sept. 14, 1952 Patented Sept. 17, 1935UNITED STATES tutti @ATE N T rOfF 1F 'il-CE TIRE COVER George :AlbertLyon, .Allenhurst, N..J.,.assgnor to Lyon Incorporated, Asbury Park, LN.J., a oorporation of Delaware This invention relates to tire covers and`more particularly lto Va multi-part tirecover in which the parts areapplicable 'to the tire Afrom opposite sides thereof.

An :object Aof the invention iis to yprovide :a *tire cover o the abovenoted type together with novel means tor lretaining the parts of thecover in proper :ti-re protecting positionfon the tire.

Another.object -of vthe invention 'is 'to :provide a tire cover of the1above notedtype in which 'provision lis made to enable the tire .cover.to accommodate fitself'to `slight variations in `size and contour ofthe tire disposed therein.

lIn accordance with the general features .of the invention there is`provided va tire cover including two parts one of which isf/applicableato the outer side Yof a spare ftire to -cover Athat side zandsubstantially half -of `the `tread or outer .periphery of the tire andthe o'therpart of which fis .applicable to the i-tire from the other`side 'thereof to cover the `remaining half of the tire tread, `both.parts being joineol together `at substantially the median plane of`.the "tire by means of asplit v'band disposed .between and 'connecting4the margns of the parts adjacent theA median zplane `of lthe tire.

Another .featureof the invention relates to the provision `of meansEinsi'de -of the 'above described cover parts for yieldably engaging`the foutez' 4periphery of 'the 'tire so :as `to cause :the cover .toreadily accommodate itself yto slight 'variations in contourand sizeofthe tire.

'Other objects .and features of this `invention will more fully fappearfrom the following "detail description taken in connection with theEaccompanying drawing vwlsich illustrates :a single fembodirnent`thereof and 1in-which Figure t1 is a side AView `or elevation o'f atire cover Aembodying the ife'atures of this invention;

Figure .2 is an end view 'of the cover shown in Figure `1.;

Figure 3 is an enlarged cross sectional View taken on substantiallytheiine lII--II-I of .Figure 1 looking in the zdirectionindicatedby-fthe larrows and .showingthe cover applied toa spare nti-re; and

Figure 4 isafragmentary detail viewrtaken on substantially the lineIV-IV of Figure 3 looking :downwardly and -illustrating the constructionof one of the springs iin fthe rear part r'of the tire cover.

In the drawing:

The reference .character zIlI `designates generally .an outer part ofthe y'cover which :is cylindrical and of :curved transverse crosssection. l'Ihis part Il@ vas best shown in "Figure f3 -is lshaped fordisposition over anouter side wall of .a spare tire B vas well .as fordisposition'over a little less than half of .the A.outer fperiphery'or'tread of the tire 9. The innermost .margin of 1this part til has 'anoutwardly turned Aedge `Ill" kfor Vcooperation with a split band I2 tolbe described hereinafter. 55

The cover `also includes va -rear part :I I which is cylindrical .inform `and Ais Yalso of :a-icur-ved tra-nsverse shape so as toaccommodate 'itself -to the contour of the -rearfhalf of the outermostperiphery or trea'do the tire 9. This part II also has l0 an outwardlyturned marginal edge I1 Yforoooperation with 'the split :rim I2. Theinnermost edges 'of these two parts I'Il and .I-I may-be turned asclearly shown in Figure 3 sowas-to preclude lone 4handling the samelfrom cutting Yhisor her hands. 15V

The ltwo 'parts if@ 4and I'I may each comprise split parts yorina-y'be:in the form of a continuous circle as shown in the idrawing depending`upon whether vvthe .cover -is to ybe used-on a spare tire in afenderwell :or -on' `a spare tire. at :the rear of an 20 automobile. :If:the cover is to ybe usedonva rear spare `tirethen it shouldipreferablyFoe in the form of a-continuous circle since substantially the -entirewheel is visible. On the other hand if `-the cover is :to be used lon aYfenderwell installation it 25 of course follows that Aa :par-tof .thespare -tire wil-l bedisposed :in the ffenderwell .and it is notnecessary that that part which .is 4so enclosed by the fenderwell Ybecoveredby the .cover in which event theco-ver .partsfmay beformed open`at the bottom 30 or in other words .not in the 'form of a continu= ouscircle.

The'split rim I2 hereinbefore referred tohas a `U -shaped cross sectionas shown in FigureS so as to enable vits lateral legs to cooperate withthe 35 'two outwardly turned-edges Il!" and l I of the two parts I@ AandyII respectively. This split rim 12 extends circumferentially-about thecover at the kmedian line o'f the 'tire 'and is drawn --into tightcooperation with the edges I0 and Il by means of a turnscrew I3having'thereon -a knurled member I4 for rotating the same. The ends ofvthis turnscrew I3 are threaded in opposite directions and cooperatewith threaded openings in two spaced 'brackets I5 and I6 secured to theends of the split rim or strap I2. It will 'be evident that by turning`the .screw I3 through the means of the vknurled member Mit is possible.tospread or draw together the ends of the .split strap .I2 whereby 50it may be removed or applied V.to vthe two cover parts IEB and iI.

In order to enable this cover to accommodate itself to slight variationsin size and contour of the .tire therein 'I provide each Vof the .cover55` parts with spring means for yieldably engaging over the outerperiphery of the tire.

As best shown in Figures l and 3 the cover part I0 has secured to it onits inner side three equidistantly spaced curved spring-like elements IIfor yieldably engaging over the front half of the outermost peripheryand tread of the tire 9. Each of these spring-like elements I`I isfastened at one end as indicated at I8 to the inner margin of the coverpart I0 and has its other end curved outwardly and inwardly over thetire tread so as to resiliently engage the same when the tire cover partI0 is pressed into position over the outer part of the spare tire 9. Inother words these three springs II are forced outwardly by the tread ofthe tire when the tire cover is inserted in the part I0 so that thesethree elements yieldably engage the tire and tend to center the coverpart I0 thereon as well as to prevent rattle between this part and thetire 9.

Each of the spring elements I'I as will be noted in Figure l is in thedirection of its major length substantially straight as distinguishedfrom being offset as is the case with the spring elements I9 on thecover part II. The spring elements I9 cn the cover part II may also bethree in number and may be equidistantly spaced apart as is the casewith the three elements II. However in View of the fact that theseelements I9 are not as long as the elements II it follows that theywould not have as great a degree of flexing if they were anchored to theinner edge of the part II as the elements I 'I which extend inwardly ofthe tire to a further extent than do the elements I9. Accordingly Iprovide each of the elements I9 with an oiset portion 20 as shown inFigure 4 which is suitably anchored by means of welding or the like tothe inner margin of the part I I. This offset mounting of the springelement I9 permits it to ilex throughout substantially its entire lengthwhereby it is free to readily accommodate itself to the rear half of thetire tread as the cover part II is being applied to the tire.

It should also be noted that the outermost extremities of thespring-like elements I I and I9 may be turned outwardly slightly intothe space separating the edges I0' and II of the cover parts I 0 and IIso that the outer edges of these spring-like elements II and I9 will notbite into the protuberances of the tread as the cover parts are beingapplied to the tire from the opposite sides thereof.

Now I desire it understood that although I have illustrated anddescribed in detail the preferred embodiment of the invention, theinvention is not to be thus limited but only insofar as -dened by thescope and spirit of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

l. A tire cover arranged to cover the tread of a tire, and resilientmeans on the interior of the cover for spacing the cover from the treadand enabling the cover t0 t treads of dierent widths and diameters, saidmeans comprising springs mounted as cantilevers and arranged to yield inplanes substantially normal to the median plane of the tire when thecover is being applied thereto, said springs having free ends adjacentthe corresponding plane of the cover to guide and center the cover asthe same is applied in proper tire protecting position, said free endsbeing turned outwardly and said cover being recessed to receive saidfree ends whereby interference due to biting of said ends against thetire is avoided as the cover is shoved onto the tire.

2. A tire cover arranged to cover the tread of a tire, and resilientmeans on the interior of the cover for spacing the cover from the treadand enabling the cover to t treads of different widths and diameters,said means comprising springs mounted as cantilevers and arranged toyield in planes substantially normal to the median plane of the tirewhen the cover is being applied thereto said springs having free endsadjacent the corresponding plane of the cover to guide and center thecover as the same is applied in proper tire protecting position, saidfree ends being turned outwardly and said cover being recessed toreceive said free ends whereby interference due to biting of said endsagainst the tire is avoided as the cover is shoved onto the tire, saidcover including a portion for disposition over a side wall of the tire.

3. A tire cover arranged to cover the tread of a tire, and resilientmeans on the interior of the cover for spacing the cover from the treadand enabling the cover to nt treads of different widths and diameters,said means comprising springs mounted as cantilevers and arranged toyield in planes substantially normal to the median plane of the tirewhen the cover is being applied thereto, said springs having free endsadjacent the corresponding plane of the cover to guide and center thecover as the same is applied in proper tire protecting position, saidfree ends being turned outwardly and said cover being recessed toreceive said free ends whereby interference due to biting of said endsagainst the tire is avoided as the cover is shoved onto the tire, saidcover including a circular protuberance arranged at said plane thereofto provide a recess for unobstructedly receiving said free ends.

4. A tire cover comprising a circular part conforming in cross-sectionto a side wall and a second circular part conforming in cross-section tothe tread of a tire and having its free margin disposed inwardly of theouter periphery of the tread when the cover is in proper tire protectingposition, to thereby cooperate with the rst part in preventingaccidental removal of the coved from the tire, the second partcomprising separate annular portions providing between them a circularspace and having adjacent said space outwardly projecting flanges, and asubstantially channel-shaped flexible split band arranged in coveringrelation to said space with the sides thereof straddling said flanges toprovide a substantially circular hollow, the parts of said cover beingformed of substantially larger dimensions than the largest tire to beaccommodated thereby, and resilient means connected to said cover andarranged to space the same from the tire, said means projecting betweenthe tread and said band and arranged to be moved toward the hollow asthe cover portions are shoved onto the tire, said band beingcontractible to firmly hold said portions in position and expansible toenable the cover to be disassembled from the tire.

5. As an article of manufacture, a spare tire cover including a pair ofarcuate parts for application over the outer periphery of the tire,means disposed over the outer periphery of the tire for pulling theparts together and for holding them on the tire, one of said partshaving disposed on its inner side a tread engaging spring elementsecured to said one part and having an outer end free and extendingtransversely of the tire tread in a plane at a substantial angle to themedian plane of the tire, said free end of the element being flexibleradially from and to- Ward the central axis of the tire so as toaccommodate variations in the size and contour of the tire and saidelement being of such extent as to hang one part on the tire duringapplication of the cover to the tire.

6. As an article of manufacture, a spare tire cover including a pair ofarcuate parts for ape plication over the outer periphery of the tire,means disposed over the outer periphery of the tire for pulling theparts together and for holdof the tire so as to accommodate variationsin l0 the size and contour of the tire.

GEORGE ALBERT LYON.

